Five common mistakes in a CV

ByCatalina Russu

Five common mistakes in a CV

Often skilled candidates miss out on good career opportunities because their CV is letting them down. There are a number of common mistakes which can make your CV stand out for the wrong reasons and damage your chances of landing job interviews. We’ve gathered together the most common mistakes that our recruiters find in experts’ CVs and made a list of the top five. Check out these mistakes and avoid them in your CV.

Failure to tailor

One of the most common mistakes made by experts is to send the same CV to apply for different positions. If your CV is too generic, employers will immediately notice that you haven’t done your homework. Make sure you tailor your CV to each role you apply for. Match the job requirements with your skills, qualifications and previous responsibilities which are specifically job-related. Should you require assistance with your CV Tailoring, reach out to our professional CV writers and we will help you design a winning CV.

Spelling mistakes, grammatical errors and poor formatting

Poor spelling, grammatical errors or disorganized formatting may damage the credibility of your application. Misspelled words indicate that a candidate does not pay adequate attention to detail which speaks volumes about his/her attitude. On the other hand, an attractive layout, thorough spellchecking and consistent formatting will emphasize the applicant’s carefulness and diligence.

Not including keywords that match the job posting 

You may already be aware that your CV will sometimes have to pass through an automated computer CV scanning system before it reaches a human reviewer. Emphasize exactly the same keywords that appear in the job listing otherwise your CV is likely not to be noticed because you won’t appear to be a strong enough fit for the job. The sooner the recruiter identifies sufficient keywords that relate to the position in question, the higher the chances are that you will make it through the first stage of filtering, and as a result, get shortlisted.

Too long or too short 

The maximum two-page CV rule that is commonly advised doesn’t always apply in the world of international development. For organisations operating in the development sector, there is actually no general rule. Some donors or consulting companies prefer to receive a shorter punchy and to the point CV, others would like to see a comprehensive overview of your experience. This means that you should write your CV accordingly. 

Responsibilities rather than achievements

A common mistake that candidates make when writing a CV is to focus on a long list of responsibilities relating to their previous positions. This doesn’t always grab the recruiter’s attention. What employers want to know is how you contributed to the organization, added value and made an impact. This way, they will be able to see what you could do for them too. So, next time you write your CV, make sure you focus more on your accomplishments while working on a project, rather than the responsibilities you had.

Before applying for the next opportunity, invest a few more minutes to proofread your CV once again and ensure that it is properly formatted and tailored according to the exact job description, has an optimal length and emphasizes your professional achievements. And if you ever need assistance with your CV tailoring, don’t hesitate to use our professional CV tailoring services and get your CV improved by a professional recruiter.